Often women in literature function as
harbingers of evil. Through the destructive, and often malicious, actions of the
foul temptresses evil is introduced into a previously peaceful society. This
use of women as destructive forces is clear in the Bible, Eve is the cause of
original sin and Delilah is responsible for cutting off Samson’s hair and
causing his downfall. However, in The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne allows
the reader to see a woman making her own decisions without causing the society
around her to fall into ruin. Throughout The Scarlet Letter , Hawthorne
allows Hester to embody modern day feminist qualities, specifically
characteristics of the cultural feminist philosophy. The cultural feminist
movement came out of the ideas of “radical feminism” which sought to “transform
society” (Moore 2). Cultural feminism, however, “attempts to heighten respect
for what is traditionally considered women’s work” while focusing on building
“women’s culture” (Moore 2). Hester consistently demonstrates the ideological
philosophy of cultural feminism by casting off the stereotypes which society
places upon her. Hester’s feminist attitude sets her apart for the mild
mannered, quiet and submissive women of the Puritan era. While Hester revels in
her strength she also associates with the idea that women are “inherently kinder
and gentler” (Moore 3). The fact that women are the ‘weaker sex’ does not keep
Hester from exuding incredible strength within herself and in her interactions
with the members of the Salem community. Hester’s feminist ideas come through
in her sexual independence, her unwillingness to submit to society’s view of
what a woman is and her personal interactions with those she most closely
relates too. Hester Prynne is set out of society, not by her choice, but due to
her inherently feminist ideals.

One of ways in which she shows her feminist
ideals is through the strength of her sexual nature. Hester’s sin is that of
following her sexual desires, which, by Puritan standards, was completely
unacceptable. Hester’s sexual strength is both “life-giving and threatening” to
the members of the Salem community (Fryer 107). The repercussions of the affair
Hester has with Dimmesdale is that the two of them give life to young Pearl, and
threaten the very moral fiber of the society in which they reside. While the
members of the community see Hester’s affair as an unforgivable sin, Hester sees
her sin much differently. Hester feels her sin is of the “original sexual
incompatibility between husband and wife” (Bensick 140). Hester and
Chillingworth’s “sexual incompatibility” and the resulting affair is reminiscent
of the “amazon feminism” theory (Moore 2). The theory of Amazon feminism is one
of the most prominent forms of feminism in art and literature, the theory
includes the ideas of a “the female hero” and is “expressed… in sexual values
and practices” (Moore 2). The members of the Salem community look at Hester
and “see her charisma as implicit sexual power” and also see her as a “primarily
sexual being” (Bloom 1-2). The overt nature in which Hester deals with her
sexuality and her ‘sexual crime’ shows truly Amazon feminist ideas. Women of
the Puritan era were taught to be coy and shy regarding situations and issues
which were sexual in nature. Hester, however, does not share in the sexual
values and practices which were deemed acceptable by the members of the Salem
community. Women were shunned and exiled for the crime of adultery, yet Hester
lives with and through her sexual crime . Her internal strength prevails and
she “[becomes] a feminist [due to] the injustice of her [genteel and lady-like]
solitude” (Van Doren 19). Hester breaks away from the ideal of being a genteel
and lady-like woman and instead follows a path of intense sexuality and internal
strength, which is also consistent with the concepts of both Amazon and cultural
feminism. Rather than live a life where she is forced to be sweet and docile
Hester breaks away from living a life she would be miserable in and follows her
heart. Hester, although a “devoted mother” never sacrificed being a “passionate
temptress,” she continues to embody the cultural and Amazonian feminist
qualities; Amazonian in her sexual strength and culturally in her being a kind
and gentle loving mother (Bell 93). Hester is the perfect example of the model
‘single mother.’ Hester juggles being a good mother to Pearl with being one of
the most regarded seamstresses in Salem as well as trying to deal with the
church trying to find out the identity of Pearl’s father. Hester never falters
as she goes through her daily routine. Although her sexual nature may cause her
troubles in the Puritan society in which she lives, Hester never stops
demonstrating the feminist ideals which make her the strong and dynamic woman
she is.

Hester’s social behavior circles mostly around
the actions which define her as a feminist. Hester’s refusal to submit to the
wishes of the church and the community and release the name of her fellow sinner
is reminiscent of the dismissal of the inherent beliefs that a woman has to be
passive, and submissive that is so closely associated with Amazon feminism. In
the eyes of those who surround Hester, she has “perpetrated a crime against
church and state” which he seems to dismiss due to her belief that her sin is
actually that of the “original sexual incompatibility between husband and wife”
(Fryer 111, Bensick 140). Hester’s “submission to Chillingworth was an outrage
she committed against herself” and against the belief that a woman can follow
her heart and be aggressive, both socially and sexually, which today is seen as
a feminist quality (Bensick 140). Although Hester did in fact commit adultery
and gives birth to an illegitimate child she does not allow the way the
community treats her taint her self esteem or pride. Instead of giving into the
self pity and self loathing which was expected to come with the punishment she
receives Hester revels in the love of her daughter and mocks the “A” which is
emblazoned upon her bosom. That “A” which should have been a stigma becomes an
outward apparition of the feminist qualities, especially the refusal of Hester
to fall into the stereotype of what makes a woman a woman, which Hester
possesses.. The Scarlet “A” is beautifully decorated by Hester and makes a
mockery out of the punishment which is laid upon her by the church and state.
This silent defiance of the way in which women of the time period were punished
for their crimes “transforms … the degradation accompanying woman’s work … into
a triumphant assertion of a woman’s artistic power,” which is one of the
fundamental ideas behind cultural feminism (Reynolds 184). The location of
Hester and Pearl in relation to the rest of the Salem Community is a physical
manifestation of Hester’s Amazonian feminist qualities. Hester and Pearl live
in the woods, away from the hustle and bustle of the everyday life in Salem,
this shows Hester’s “own self reliance” and her ability to take control of life
in the wild and untamed country side (Freyer 113). The fact that Hester lives
out in the forest serves as not only a form of sanctuary, but as a buffer
between the world which judges her and the free nature which Hester possesses in
her soul. The people of Salem may find Hester’s living arrangements to be
strange but understand that Hester is “in a sphere by herself” and almost
respect that because she “has brought shame upon [them all]” (Hawthorne 40,
38). Hester does not retreat to the woods due to shame or to flee from the
adversity which she faces within the confines of the city limits, she instead
goes off to the forest because it is where she can be true to herself and live
as an independent woman. It is because of this “sphere” that Hester has an
“ambivalent relationship to the Scarlet Letter she wears [and it becomes]
apparent [of her] submission to communal law at the same time she finds a way to
deny” (Mellard 171). Hester’s denial of the ‘communal laws’ is not uncommon of
a feminist of modern day society. The rejection of what is common in society
rings of the cultural feminist idea that a woman should not conform to what is
expected of her by the general male populace. From loving and caring for her
child as she does, to wearing the brightly decorated “A” so proudly Hester
allows her feminist beliefs to manifest themselves in the world around her -
regardless of the consequences.

Hester’s relationships with the members of the
Salem community are greatly affected by the passion and strength which she
harbors within her soul. The three people which Hester’s feminist ideals affect
relationships with most are Dimmesdale, Chillingworth and Pearl. Hester and
Dimmesdale share the sinful secret that they were once lovers and share in the
weight of know Pearl was born of their sin. As Hester is being questioned upon
the scaffold about who her fellow sinner is she refuses to answer Mr. Wilson and
instead looks “into the deep and troubled eyes of [Dimmesdale]” and once again
refuses to speak his name (Hawthorne 49). As Hester gazes into the eyes of her
fellow sinner she stands tall and assumes the more masculine position in
assuring her weaker counterpart that she will not betray him. This fits in with
the Amazon feminist ideals because Hester is rejecting what is considered
inherently feminine and taking on inherently masculine traits (Moore 2).
Regardless of the assurance Hester gives to Dimmesdale on the scaffold he still
succumbs to the strain of his sin. Dimmesdale slowly deteriorates into a shell
of his former self to a point that Hester “ is shocked at the condition she
[finds] the clergyman reduced” to (Hawthorne 109). Hester’s reaction to the man
she loves fallen state reflects the cultural feminist idea that women are
inherently “kinder and gentler” and therefore will show sympathy to a man as
sadly fallen as her lover is (Moore 2). At that point she gathers together her
own internal strength and revels in the strange emotion she feels for Dimmesdale
and continues on with her life. The way Hester interacts with Dimmesdale is the
exact opposite way she reacts to Chillingworth. Hester and Chillingworth
becomes a very cold and detached relationship when he finally arrives in Salem
on the day of her being paraded to the scaffold. She comes to be very cold and
detached in dealing with him and his emotions regarding her infidelity. Hester
grows cold inside in dealing with him and feels that she would “weep, if there
any tears bitter enough for it” (Hawthorne 116). Hester’s obvious coldness has
a root in the theory of Separatist feminists, women who believe that there
should be little or no contact between men and women for the good of women who
are oppressed by men. (Moore 7). Hester continually grows colder towards
Chillingworth and even begins to show malice towards him in her verbal actions.
She threatens Chillingworth with revealing his true identity whilst in the
forest with him. Hester looks at him and says “He must discern thee in thy true
character” and in saying so rejects the idea that women are to be submissive to
the will and strength of the men around them. Hester attempts to teach her
young daughter Pearl to be strong and independent, not as much through words and
through actions., she “sought to impose a tender but strict control over the
infant” and allow her to grow up with the same freedom of spirit which Hester
enjoys (Hawthorne 64). Hester attempts to instill strong morals and internal
strength into the mind of young Pearl. Living out the in forest allows Hester
more control over Pearl and the way she thinks. Pearl is very much Hester’s
“companion” in the cottage in the woods (Hawthorne 70). Living where they do,
Hester and Pearl are allowed to fend for themselves as men would in the forest.
Fighting the woods alone as men would do is yet another Amazonian feminist
characteristic that both Hester and Pearl share. Neither Hester or Pearl falls
into the stereotype of what women of the Puritan era were supposed to be. The
internal strength of both of these characters is reflected in the other, mother
and daughter feed off of each other for the strength to carry on. Hester
dresses Pearl in bright vibrant colors and in doing so makes Pearl stand apart
from the other drably dressed Puritan children, and in turn Pearl’s nymph like
behavior allows Hester to be creative and enjoy the freedom she now has by being
shunned by society because of her moral values (Hawthorne 70). Mother and
daughter thrive on the love and companionship they share outside of the
judgmental community of Salem.

Hester’s ability to thrive outside and inside
of the Puritan community of Salem is largely in part to the traits which would,
by today’s standards, label her as a feminist. The feminist attributes which
can be applied to Hester are most apparent in her sexual choices, her
interactions with the members of the Salem community at large and the specific
relationships with those who are closest to her. If Hester were to be taken out
of the Puritan environment and placed among people in a modern day setting she
would be viewed as the epitome of a strong, independent, single mother and would
be embraced by the feminist community as a tribute to all they have fought for.
The way in which Hawthorne portrays Hester is ambiguous as to whether he feels
women should strive to find some level of equality between the sex’s or that
women should remain subservient to men as the other women in Salem had. How
Hawthorne meant for Hester to be regarded by the readers of The Scarlet
Letter is yet to be seen, but there is significant data to show that
Hawthorne created Hester as a strong, independent woman - a woman before her
time.